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by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: General, Years of the Trees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 07:10:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3759113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A boy returns from a camping trip with distressing news for his significant other. Implied slash, time of the Trees.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

The dark-haired boy skids to a stop by the kitchen wall, breathless, and whistles. His cousin's head appears after a moment, then the boy himself vaults over the wall, older and taller and uncomfortable.

"So," the younger one slouches against the wall, hands in his pockets. "You're back." He darts a look at his cousin. "I missed you."

The older boy fidgets for a moment. "Yeah. It was nice up there. Quiet. I got a chance to- to think, you know? I thought a lot." They avoid looking at each other.

Finally the younger boy reaches over, as if to touch his cousin's face. His hand is knocked aside. "Stop it. That's one of the things I thought about. I, uh-" he rubs the back of his neck "-I met a girl. So." He drops his eyes. It's a lie and they both know it. The younger cousin lowers his hand.

"Is that it? It's just- I mean, no one knows, right?"

"No, but we can't do this anymore! Someone's going to find out eventually-"

"So what? I thought- we both thought it was worth it! I mean, I-" the younger boy looks away as he says this "-I enjoyed it. I thought you did too."

"I did! But- you know- there's a girl now, and that's natural-"

"This is natural too! How is it not?"

The younger boy's voice drops at the end of his sentence, and he whispers, "There isn't really a girl, is there?"

His cousin doesn't look at him. "What do you think my father would say if he found out?"

They're both silent, thinking of the older boy's hot-tempered father. "But he loves you," the younger boy says at last, voice breaking. "And he likes me better than he used to…"

"Because you're our _cousin_ , don't you get it! He thinks you visit so much because you like playing with my little brothers!"

There is a long silence. Eventually the younger boy says hopelessly, "But I love you…"

His cousin says tersely, "You're only eleven. You'll get over it," and swings back over the wall.

Author's Note: 

About the "yeah" in the third paragraph: it makes sense to me that any language, even one as high and holy as Quenya, would have some form of slang for its young speakers. I can't really imagine Feanor or Galadriel using it, but the young characters in this short story probably would.


End file.
